The Best Gift

My "bonus" grandson, Parker, pictured here, just graduated high school. On Pentecost Sunday at his church, he was asked to share what the greatest gift was that he had ever received.

A crowd of eager young faces had been called to the front of the congregation to hear wise words. We were there to witness it.

Parker revealed in his talk -- not a flashy gadget but his Bible that is the gem he’s packing for college at Texas A&M. He was proud to share the greatest gift his parents ever gave him was His Bible – an accessory that is forever in season!

As I grew up, my morning ritual included reading my Bible. It felt more like a teeth-brushing chore because my “want to read it” had not taken hold of me yet. But honestly, who wants a duty-driven relationship with God OR their Bible?

As I grew older, I rethought my approach. It was not enough to just read the Bible; I had to fall in love with it. I made a pact with God: "Please, wake me up early so we can hang out." God took on the role of my divine alarm clock, rousing me before 5 am (and carries on to today as I search His Word for my next blog). I meet Him at the “well of living water”!

When my children watched my commitment, something was going on inside them. Seeds were being planted in their busy school days. Today, they make the first of their mornings as “hang-outs” with God and His Word. I’ve witnessed it and seen the fruit of it.

I lived with my daughter and her family for four months before I bought a home in Frisco, TX. Every morning included devotion and Bible reading at the breakfast table. My grands were two normal sleep-eyed kiddos who were not exactly in the mood, but their parents made that time fun.

They chatted about what they discovered. "Did you see what Paul said about love?" or "How about David’s strategy with that giant?" This open dialogue piqued those kids’ curiosity. They wanted in on the lively discussions, realizing they needed to read the stories themselves to do so.

Encouraging them to read the Bible was a game-changer. And it is a game-changer for you and me when we fish for wisdom from scripture. It is not about a checklist or ticking off chapters. It is about transformative insights and getting “inside information” from what we read.

When we read and study God’s Word, we find answers to our questions, wisdom for our souls and influences how we think and act.

So, are you looking for a graduation gift that will outwit, outplay and outlast the bumps in the road ahead? They will become more than "survivors" -- they will become thrivers from the insight found in God's Word!